Super fragrant, tangy and comforting, Lanzhou beef noodle soup is a culinary legend from the city which it’s named after. Check out this simplified version!

If you’re a noodle fanatic like me, don’t miss today’s recipe: Lanzhou beef noodle soup (兰州牛肉面), aka Lanzhou La Mian(兰州拉面). Super aromatic, tangy and comforting, it’s one of the most popular noodle dishes in China.

Named after the city from which it originates, this famous beef noodle dish is synonymous with Lanzhou and one of the most important elements of the local food culture.

My personal memory

I spent all my teenage years in Lanzhou (兰州), the capital of Gansu province in the Northwest of China, and Lanzhou beef noodle soup was a regular breakfast treat. In a small cafe beside my school, hundreds of bowls of beef noodle soup were freshly made each morning by a skillful team in a tiny kitchen.

Although the queue was long, the service was always super fast and the taste was always spot on. To me, it’s what I miss the most after moving from Lanzhou. Every time I go back, I take every opportunity to enjoy this humble yet scrumptious delicacy.

Six essential elements

A nice bowl of Lanzhou beef noodle soup consists of six essential elements:

Clear, aromatic beef broth;
Cubes/slices of cooked beef;
Melt-in-your-mouth daikon slices (aka mooli/Chinese white radish) ;
Elastic hand-pulled noodles;
Generous amount of chilli oil;
Fresh coriander or green garlic to garnish

A culinary art of noodle making

Strictly speaking, Lanzhou beef noodle soup is not supposed to be homemade. Or, let me put it another way. It’s almost impossible to imitate it, particularly the rich, aged beef broth (Restaurants claim they have secret ingredients, formulas, etc.) and the sophisticated hand-pulled noodles (it can come in 7-9 different sizes).

Have a look at the video that I took on my Culinary Tour of China which shows you the fascinating process. Words just can’t describe how amazing this culinary art is.

That is why I’ll never dare to claim that I make authentic Lanzhou beef noodle soup. What I’m sharing today is a simplified version that can be easily made in your own kitchen.

An easy way to make hand-pulled noodles

I have a separate post Hand-Pulled Noodles which shows an easy technique to make noodles for this dish. Here are the basic procedures.

Make a smooth, fairly firm dough using flour, salt & water.
Divide then flatten the dough. Coat with oil then leave to rest.
Bring a pot of water to boil. Cut the dough pieces into strips.
Pull the strips into long noodles one at a time. Drop into the water.
Cook for 1-2 minutes then dish out.

To make 2 servings, for example, you would need:

250 g all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
125 ml water (you may need to adjust depending on the brand of your flour)
cooking oil, for coating the dough

Have a look at the tutorial video if you are keen to make your own noodles. Alternatively, please feel free to use shop-bought dried noodles if you wish. They are so handy when you are in a rush.

How to make a delicious broth

For better flavour and texture, I recommend you choose the beef cuts which have generous amounts of marbling and/or a high amount of connective tissue. Beef shank/shin, for example, is a good choice for this dish. Apart from that, I also add some beef bones. They provide extra flavour and a nice amount of fat to the broth.

In my recipe at the end of the post, you will see a long list of spices used to flavour the beef broth. Find as many as you can. Believe me, they do make a difference!

Make your own Chinese chilli oil

To me, Chinese chilli oil is indispensable for Lanzhou beef noodle soup. It gives the dish an extra zing, as well as a more appetizing look. I highly recommend you make your own when possible.

Some people also like to add some Chinese black rice vinegar to the dish, have a try to see if it’s your cup of tea (not mine to be honest).

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